Florida State Black Law Students Association
Wins National Mock Trial Competition

TALLAHASSEE — The Florida State University College of Law’s Black Law Students Association (BLSA) has won first place in the National Black Law Students Association’s Thurgood Marshall Mock Trial Competition. Eighteen teams from around the nation participated, including teams from Harvard Law School, University of Florida Levin College of Law, University of Missouri School of Law, University of Washington School of Law, and Washington and Lee University School of Law. The competition was held March 12-16 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Florida State’s team was undefeated in six rounds of competition.

Winning team members were third-year law students Nesha Drummond from Fort Lauderdale, Josiah Graham from Fort Lauderdale, and Kyesha Mapp from Fort Lauderdale, and first-year law student Louis Jean-Baptiste from Palm Beach. They were coached by Florida State law alumna C. Erica White ('01), who practices law at the Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation. In addition to Florida State’s team victory, Graham was named Overall Best Advocate for the competition.

"We are thrilled that our Black Law Students Association has brought home the gold from this national mock trial competition,” said Dean Don Weidner. “Special congratulations to the competitors and to their coach, Erica White."